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Talking With Your Doctor Presentation Toolkit

Help older adults make the most of their medical appointments with the Talking With Your Doctor Presentation Toolkit (based on NIA’s popular booklet Talking With Your Doctor: A Guide for Older People). It’s easy to use—you do not need any special expertise or training. The presentation features tips for how to:

Get ready for a doctor’s visit

Effectively talk with a clinician about health concerns

Make collaborative decisions about treatment

Remember what was discussed following the appointment

You can download the entire Presentation Toolkit as a zip file or download each file individually below:

PowerPoint Presentation

The 18-slide, approximately 45-minute, Talking With Your Doctor presentation offers tips for how to prepare for a medical appointment; effectively discuss health concerns, including sensitive issues; coordinate assistance from family and friends; make decisions with the doctor about treatment; and much more. It has interactive activities to involve the audience and reinforce some of the important points in the discussion. Download the presentation as a PowerPoint file (with the speaker script and notes) or as an accessible PDF (slides only).

Speaker Script and Notes

The speaker script is organized according to the slides. The script includes notes for engaging with the audience and implementing activities. There are also cues for when to direct audience attention to a handout. The speaker script and notes are in the PowerPoint file and in this easy-to-follow, printable PDF format.

Tips for Preparing for the Presentation

These tips include logistics to consider when preparing for the presentation, including:

When to schedule the presentation

How to set up the room

Potential issues to consider when leading the presentation

A checklist of items to bring

Talking with Your Doctor video

View a 20-min. narrated video that explains all you need to know about talking with your doctor, from preparing for a visit to discussing medications, symptoms, and a diagnosis. Use it for a group presentation or individual education.